The Event
Delaware Valley Orienteering Association (DVOA) will host their 16th annual training and camping weekend on September 15 and 16, 2007 in Hickory Run State Park. Hickory Run is a beautiful, conveniently located park in the Pocono's near the intersection of I-80 and I-476 (Northeast Extension of the PA Turnpike).
Saturday (September 15) will be devoted to training and orienteering exercises. Training will begin at 10 AM and will be offered on three levels: beginner, intermediate and advanced.
Beginner training is for people who have never gone out on an orienteering course or have only gone out a few times and go out on a white or yellow course. Exercises will include map reading, understanding map symbols and map orientation.
Intermediate training is for people who feel very comfortable on a yellow course and want to move up to the orange level. In addition, intermediate training is for people who are now going out on an orange course and want to refine their skills. Exercises include understanding handrails, thumbing to maintain map contact, route simplification and improving off-trail confidence.
Advanced training is for people who are currently going out on a green or red course and want to improve their skills. Exercises include selecting attack points, route simplification and contours.
Training will be followed by a night orienteering event. Night-O will be offered on three levels: beginner, intermediate and advanced. The beginner course is all on trails and is intended for people who have never done orienteering at night. The intermediate course is intended for people who have done night orienteering before and are ready to get off-trail for part of the course. The advanced course is intended for people who have completed several night orienteering courses and are very comfortable off-trail at night. For night orienteering you will need a flashlight. Start times will be pre-assigned for you. Please note special start-time needs when you register.
On Sunday (September 16) DVOA will host an orienteering event. A full set of courses will be offered: White (introductory difficulty and 2 to 3 km), Yellow (advanced introductory difficulty and 2.5 to 3 km), Orange (intermediate difficulty and 2.5 to 4 km), Brown (advanced difficulty and 3.0 to 4.5 km), Green (advanced difficulty and 3.5 to 5.5 km), Red (advanced difficulty and 5 to 7 km), and Blue (advanced difficulty and 8 to 10 km). Start times will be pre-assigned for you. Please note special start-time needs when you register.
Night O Course Information:
| Course | Length | Climb | Num Ctrls | Map Scale |
| Beginner | 1.65k | 35m | 7 | 1:5000 |
| Intermediate | 2.06k | 55m | 11 | 1:5000 |
| Advanced | 4.24k | 105m | 10 | 1:15,000 |
Sunday Course Information:
| Course | Length | Climb | Num Ctrls | Map Scale |
| No E-Punching on WYO: | ||||
| White | 1.575m | 45m | 10 | 1:5000 |
| Yellow | 2.05m | 70m | 12 | 1:5000 |
| Orange | 3.47k | 100m | 11 | 1:15,000 |
| E-Punching on Brown and up: | ||||
| Brown | 4.00k | 100m | 10 | 1:15,000 |
| Green | 5.34k | 115m | 12 | 1:15,000 |
| Red | 6.95k | 140m | 15 | 1:15,000 |
| Blue | 8.58k | 175m | 17 | 1:15,000 |
Training and Map Fees
A training fee will be charged which includes all training materials you need, except a compass. The training fee is $4 for DVOA members and $5 for non-members. This is a per-person fee. You must pre-register and pre-pay for training.
Fees for each Night-O map are $4 for DVOA members and $5 for non-members. This is a map fee (not a per-person fee). Typically it is not practical for more than two or three people to use the same map and many people want their own map. You must pre-register and pre-pay for Night-O.
Fees for the event on Sunday are $4 for pre-registered members of DVOA, $5 for pre-registered non-members and $7 if you are not pre-registered (whether you are a member of DVOA or not). This is a map fee (not a per-person fee). If you are going out on the Sunday event as part of the training you must pre-register and pre-pay.
If you are only going out on the Sunday event, you should pre-register (to avoid the higher fee), but do not need to pre-pay. To pre-register, send an email to the event director indicating which course you will run and pay at the park. If you have not pre-registered, registration at the park will be permitted from 10 AM until Noon at the $7 fee.
Accommodations
Sleeping facilities consist of unheated cabins with no electricity and wooden bunks. There are no mattresses, so bring a mattress if desired. The group camp area has flush toilets located throughout the camp, a dining hall and a central shower facility with hot showers. The shower facility has electricity for lighting, but the toilet facilities throughout the camp have no electricity. The cost for the cabins is $3 per person for DVOA members and $4 per person for non-members for both nights.
If you stay in the cabins, you are asked to sweep out your cabin, close and latch all windows and pick up any trash you find around your cabin when you leave.
Due to the bear population at Hickory Run, food in the sleeping cabins is prohibited.
You can also tent camp, but must contact the park to reserve space. You will not be permitted to tent camp in the group camp area we are using. The phone number for Hickory Run State Park is: 570 443 0400.
Food
A meal plan will be provided (3 meals on Saturday and 2 on Sunday). The cost for all 5 meals is $14 for members of DVOA and $15 for non-members. You must pre-register for food. There is no charge for children under 7. Meals are nutritious and plentiful. You can bring your own food if you desire, but kitchen facilities will not be provided. Food in the sleeping cabins is prohibited due to bears in the park.
Directions
Take the I-476 (Northeast extension of the PA Turnpike) to the I-80 exit. Turn right at light onto PA Rt. 940 and follow west for 3 miles. Go south on PA Rt. 534 and follow the orienteering signs just after you pass the park office. The orienteering signs are about 6 inches by 18 inches painted white and orange in the shape of an arrow. Follow the arrows to the dining hall in the camp (Camp Daddy Allen) to obtain your cabin assignment and meal tickets.
If you decide to arrive Saturday morning, be sure to do so before 10:00 AM so you can be properly placed with your training group. It is very difficult to find the groups once they go into the woods.
Registration
In previous years the event has filled to capacity so you are encouraged to register early. Registration closes on September 1, 2007. If you need more information, send an email to Fred Kruesi or call me at 610 363 7459. Email is the preferred method of contact, If you provide an email address on your registration form, you will receive confirmation of your registration. Please print your email address legibly. Send your completed registration form and payment made out to DVOA to:
Fred Kruesi
703 Brooke Road
Exton, PA 19341
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I bring my pet to the event?
- No. Pets are not allowed in a group camp area.
- Can I tent camp?
- Yes, but you must use the tent camp area. Contact the camp office at: 570 443 0400.
- I am not a member of DVOA. What is the advantage of joining?
- The primary advantages are reduced event fees and notification of upcoming events. Four times a year you will receive the club newsletter. An organization (such as a scout troop or church group) can join as a family and all members of the organization are considered members. You can contact the club office for more information at 610-792-0502 or email Mary Frank.
- Can I tent camp and take the meal plan?
- Yes.
- Do you keep groups together?
- To the extent possible, groups are kept together. There are 2, 4 and a few 8-10 person cabins. Large groups are often given multiple cabins. Small groups and families (people that submit one registration or indicate who they want to be in a cabin with) are given a single cabin and do not share space with anyone else.
- What can I do to help at the event?
- Helpers are often needed in the kitchen. Helpers are always needed for cleanup after the event. Cleanup starts about 2:00 and mostly consists of dining hall cleaning. Even if you can only offer 15 minutes, it helps.
- What is the difference between per-person fees and map fees?
- Each person pays the per-person fee, but map fees are charged for each map even if several people go out at the same time and use the same map. Assume you have 8 people in your group and all 8 attend training and go out for Night-O in groups of 2. You would pay for 8 training fees and 4 Night-O map fees.
- When does registration close?
- Registration will close on September 1, 2007, but the event may be full before that time. Avoid disappointment and register early.
- You mentioned bears a couple of times, is there cause for alarm?
- If you keep food out of your sleeping cabin, you should not have a problem. Food in a sleeping cabin is prohibited by the park for good reason. There have been cases of bears entering cabins because there was food in the cabin. The people, who were eating at the time, were surprised when the bear came through the window. Avoid the problem and don't eat or keep food in your cabin.